Is There Such Thing As Sleeping Through The Night?

Since you became a mom, have you said “bye bye” to sleeping through the night?

Are you feeling exhausted or stressed all day?

Don’t you worry, I got you covered. I will share with you some great tips and an amazing recipe that will help you sleep again like a baby!

Some Behind The Scenes Information Related To Sleep

Let’s jump right at the bad news.

Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind. People who don’t sleep enough have a higher risk for so many health issues like diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. If that is not enough here is a list of effects that probably most women, moms hate: slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance and inflammation. And the cherry on top, lack of sleep can affect your mood, memory and decision-making skills. Now you know why you may be irritable.

I have one more bad news, how many of you invest a lot of your time exercising but do not sleep much? If this is the case, you may want to allocate more time to sleep because lack of sleep may even negate the health benefits of exercise.

Now you may ask, but why so much is affected by sleep???

To answer your question, I will explain the three main purposes of sleep:

To restore our body and mind. Our bodies repair, grow and even “detoxify” our brains while we sleep.

To improve our brain’s ability to learn and remember things, technically known as “synaptic plasticity”.

To conserve some energy so we’re not just actively “out and about” 24-hours a day, every day.

Do you know how much sleep adults need? It’s less than what your kids need but it’s still a good 7 to 9 hours a night. Surprised?

The good news is that not all is lost. There are a few strategies that you can start implementing tonight to start sleeping better.

Tips To Sleep Better

Although might be difficult, the payoff will be huge if you can get yourself into a consistent sleep schedule. Make it a priority and you’ll more likely This means shutting everything off and closing your eyes 7 to 9 hours before your alarm goes off every single day of the week. That is Seven Days A Week. I know weekends can easily throw this off but by sticking to this sleeping schedule for a few weeks your body and mind will adjust and thank you for it.

Balance your blood sugar throughout the day. That means, eat less refined and processed foods and more whole foods (full of blood-sugar-balancing fiber). For example, choose the whole orange instead of the juice or some orange-flavored snack. Also, make sure you’re getting some protein every time you eat.

During the day get some sunlight and exercise. These things tell your body it’s daytime; time for being productive, active and alert. By doing this during the day it will help you wind down more easily in the evening.

Cut off your caffeine and added sugar intake after 12pm. Whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine, it’s the “added” sugar we want to keep at a minimum. Yes, this includes your beloved chai latte. Both caffeine and added sugar can keep your mind a bit more active than you want it during the evening. Oh no, I need my coffee at 3 pm otherwise I can’t make through the rest of the day. If this is you, don’t panic below I am sharing with you a recipe that will help with the 3 pm energy boost most people need.

Have a relaxing bedtime routine that starts 1 hour before your “shutting everything off” time (that is 8 – 10 hours before your alarm is set to go off). This would include dimming your artificial lights, shutting down electronics and perhaps reading a paper book or having a bath.

So how many of these tips can you start implementing today?

As mentioned, here is a delicious caffeine-free latte recipe for those 3 pm “need energy” breaks.

Caffeine-Free Chai Latte Recipe

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1 bag of rooibos chai tea (rooibos is naturally caffeine-free)

2 cups of boiling water

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon almond butter (creamy is preferred)

2 dates (optional)

Directions:

Cover the teabag and dates (if using) with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for a few minutes.